Edinburgh City of Literaturehttp://www.cityofliterature.com
Books Words IdeasThu, 17 Aug 2017 18:50:00 +0000en-GBhourly1James Tait Black Book Prize 2017 winners announcedhttp://www.cityofliterature.com/james-tait-black-book-prize-2017-winners-announced/
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 13:05:04 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=35166The winners of the 2016 James Tait Black Prizes for Biography and Fiction (the UK’s oldest book prizes) were announced last night by Sally Magnusson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Both prizes had a strong shortlist, which had been narrowed down from over 400 books by a dedicated group of academics and students at... read more >>

]]>The winners of the 2016 James Tait Black Prizes for Biography and Fiction (the UK’s oldest book prizes) were announced last night by Sally Magnusson at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Both prizes had a strong shortlist, which had been narrowed down from over 400 books by a dedicated group of academics and students at the University of Edinburgh. Each winner received a prize of £10,000.

Eimar McBride, winner of the 2014 Baileys Prize, took the Fiction Prize for her novel The Lesser Bohemians. The novel tells the story of an 18-year-old Irish girl who ventures to London and ends up falling for an older actor. Described by Dr Alex Lawrie, of the University of Edinburgh, as an “astonishing second novel” which, it was chosen from a shortlist including Jo Baker’s A Country Road, a Tree, Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs to You and CE Morgan’s The Sport of Kings.

Claiming the prize for Biography was Laura Cumming for her excellent book The Vanishing Man: In Pursuit of Velázquez. In this biography, Cumming traces the story of the moment Victorian bookseller John Snare believes himself to have found a lost painting by Velázquez. Dr Jonathan Wild, one of the judges for the biography prize from the University of Edinburgh, called The Vanishing Man “a real gem of a book”, whilst Sally Magnusson praised the “loving detail, enchantment and humanity” used to portray the painter.

The Vanishing Man was selected as winner out of a shortlist including A Life Discarded by Alexandr Masters, Rasputin by Douglas Smith, and A Stain in the Blood by Joe Moshenska.

The James Tait Black Prizes

The James Tait Black Prizes were founded in 1919 by James Coats, the widow of publisher James Tait Black, making them Britain’s oldest literary awards. They are presented by the University of Edinburgh annually to a winner chosen from a selection of writers chosen by PhD students and academics. In 2013, the James Tait Black Prize for Drama was also founded. The drama prize winner will be announced on Monday 22 August at the Traverse Theatre.

]]>Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2018: Message from the Skieshttp://www.cityofliterature.com/edinburghs-hogmanay-2018-message-skies/
Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:03:48 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34911The programme for Edinburgh’s 25th Hogmanay Festival was announced today at Mansfield Traquair. Plans for the celebrations have been overhauled and a six-hour street party is now at the heart of the 2018 programme, which has been organised by Underbelly, a UK based live entertainment company. Some highlights of the programme... read more >>

]]>The programme for Edinburgh’s 25th Hogmanay Festival was announced today at Mansfield Traquair. Plans for the celebrations have been overhauled and a six-hour street party is now at the heart of the 2018 programme, which has been organised by Underbelly, a UK based live entertainment company.

Some highlights of the programme include: the family friendly Bairns Afore, giving families the opportunity to celebrate New Year earlier with their very own ‘midnight’ fireworks moment at 6pm; the new look ceilidh at the foot of Edinburgh Castle; and the stunning Torchlight Procession, which will culminate in a stunning visual moment in Holyrood Park with the #ScotWord project.

For the literature enthusiasts, this year’s celebrations will also let visitors and residents see Edinburgh in a new light with Message from the Skies. Taking you on a literary journey through the city, with a new story written by Scottish writer Val McDermid, words will be projected onto Edinburgh’s key landmarks and buildings.

Val McDermid, bestselling Scottish writer said:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be involved with such a unique project that will showcase Edinburgh in surprising ways. For a writer, the challenge of trying something new is always exciting and Message from the Skies will be a demanding exercise of imagination and narrative technique. It’s going to be great fun!”

Val will be working with Philip Howard, dramaturg, as well as Edinburgh based projection company Double Take projections to bring her story to life for all to read and experience. Each building and landmark will be its own chapter of the story, bringing words to Edinburgh’s streets once more. An app will allow audiences to hold their devices up to each building to see the stories translated into different languages, and will also read the text to partially-sighted audiences.

Message from the Skies is set to run from New Year’s Day to Burns Night on the 25 January, from dusk (times to be confirmed) until 10pm. The project is commissioned and presented by Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, produced by Underbelly and Pearlfisher, in partnership with Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, and funded by Creative Scotland through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals EXPO fund.

Tickets for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2018 are now on sale over on their website.

]]>Celebrating 30 years of Rebus: RebusFest 2017http://www.cityofliterature.com/celebrating-30-years-rebus/
Tue, 04 Jul 2017 12:21:23 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34839Edinburgh’s iconic fictional detective celebrated 30 years in the book business from 30 June- 2 July, with Ian Rankin and the Orion Publishing Group hosting RebusFest in Edinburgh – a weekend of literature, art, film, music, and much more besides. Edinburgh City of Literature was delighted to be one of the... read more >>

]]>Edinburgh’s iconic fictional detective celebrated 30 years in the book business from 30 June- 2 July, with Ian Rankin and the Orion Publishing Group hosting RebusFest in Edinburgh – a weekend of literature, art, film, music, and much more besides.

Edinburgh City of Literature was delighted to be one of the partners, thanks to the support of the University of Edinburgh. The Trust marked the occasion by chalking
quotations on the streets of the city, and giving away books to visitors to help spread the work of Rankin even further.

“It was the kind of love which was all the more fervent for having come to him late in life.” Hide and Seek

“The city fed on its past like a serpent with its tail in its mouth. “ The Black Book

“…climbing hand in hand, seeing the city spread out like a promise.” Dead Souls

“It seemed to him a very Edinburgh thing. Welcoming, but not very.” Exit Music

The stencil quotations were created as part of the Trust’s ongoing Words on the Street campaign, which seeks to make literature available and visible to all who travel through the city.

On Saturday, City of Literature also took to the streets to gift international visitors with a copy of Ian Rankin’s Black and Blue, and had great chats with tourists from the USA, Canada, Spain, South Africa, Australia and many other places about why Edinburgh loves Rebus.

Ian Rankin’s books are part of what make Edinburgh the world’s first city of literature: his stories have brought joy to millions of readers and transported them into the world of Rebus. We wanted to offer the chance for visitors to our city to take home a wee piece of our city’s culture.

The Trust sends huge thanks to the University of Edinburgh and Orion Publishing, as well as JUMP and Reekie Steeltec who helped create the metal stencils used to chalk quotations on the streets, with kind permission from the City of Edinburgh Council.

Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin, OBE is a crime fiction writer best known for his Inspector Rebus series. His first novels, Knots and Crosses and Hide and Seek were written as mainstream novels but, to Rankin’s surprise, the books were regarded as genre books, and his unintentional path to crime fiction began. The Inspector Rebus series – of 19 novels plus short stories – has been adapted for television starring John Hannah, and later, Ken Stott.

Words on the Street

Words on the Street is all about bringing to light the story of books, publishing, and writing within the city. By featuring literature throughout Edinburgh in the form of projections, stencils, light installations, live readings, posters, and more, Words on the Street makes the city’s literary past, present and future visible for all to see.

]]>Announcing the 17 writers for Story Shop 2017http://www.cityofliterature.com/announcing-17-writers-story-shop-2017/
Fri, 23 Jun 2017 13:22:32 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34691In partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Trust is delighted to announce our Story Shop writers for 2017. Story Shop is a series of daily short story readings by local emerging writers, all at various stages of their early writing career. Some are taking their first steps, some have... read more >>

]]>In partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Trust is delighted to announce our Story Shop writers for 2017.

Story Shop is a series of daily short story readings by local emerging writers, all at various stages of their early writing career. Some are taking their first steps, some have publications to their name, some are switching what they’re doing, all are hungry to make the next step.

After much debate, deliberation and a lot of notes in greenpen, the final selection has been made. Huge congratulations to the winning entrants, who you’ll be hearing a lot more from in the coming months.

So, drum roll please, here are the Story Shop 17 for 2017…

Jen McGregor

Debbie Bayne

Norma-Ann Coleman

Hannah Kelly

Angela Hicks

Simon Brown

Douglas Brunton

Mark Wightman

Kristin Pedroja

Felicity Anderson-Nathan

Jane Anderson

Rose McDonagh

Emily Prince

Caroline von Schmalensee

Becky Carnaffin

Bethany Anderson

Joanne Bell

Over 80 people applied for Story Shop for the chance to enjoy a professional development workshop, and to read at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The standard was incredibly high, with tales spanning all genres and taking us across Scotland, the world and even the universe. Just over half of the entries were long-listed, and then a shortlist of 30 were discussed by the judges.

Unfortunately, the judges aren’t able to give individual feedback but some general notes were gathered on why some stories made the cut:

Some entries didn’t take the time slot of Story Shop into account. We were looking for stories which could be enjoyed in the afternoon by a range of ages, and a number of stories were rejected because they were too violent for a family audience.

There were other entries which were beautifully written but either took too long to get going, or didn’t have enough of a story to really hook in a listener. A few stories were fairly complicated to follow while reading, and it was decided they would be too tricky for an audience to grasp what was going on whilse listening.

The winning entries were chosen because they combined good writing with a story we thought would be interesting to listen to. Some were autobiographical, some more fantastical, some were funny and some tragic but all had a neat narrative and left us with a strong emotional reaction.

To see the winning stories performed, come along to the Book Festival each day at 3pm for our free Story Shop event in the Charlotte Square Spiegeltent. Keep an eye on cityofliterature.com for more details about the selected writers in the coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their words – the future of Edinburgh as a City of Literature is in safe hands! If you were unsuccessful this year, please consider reapplying in the future.

More will be revealed about our writers in the coming weeks, and keep an eye on our social media for a full reading schedule.

]]>Edinburgh International Book Festival announces 2017 programmehttp://www.cityofliterature.com/edinburgh-international-book-festival-announces-2017-programme/
Tue, 13 Jun 2017 15:36:01 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34669The Edinburgh International Book Festival has launched its 2017 programme of events, all of which come together under the theme ‘Brave New Words’. With over 1000 authors, poets, illustrators, journalists, historians, politicians, playwrights attending, it is set to be the biggest celebration of its kind ever. Nick Barley, Director of the... read more >>

]]>The Edinburgh International Book Festival has launched its 2017 programme of events, all of which come together under the theme ‘Brave New Words’. With over 1000 authors, poets, illustrators, journalists, historians, politicians, playwrights attending, it is set to be the biggest celebration of its kind ever.

Nick Barley, Director of the Book Festival said:

70 years on from the first Edinburgh Festival, the need for artists and performers to come together in celebration of free speech and the power of creativity is as great as it has ever been. Against a backdrop of political earthquakes, this year’s Book Festival proudly presents an awe-inspiring international array of writers who are closely observing the changing world and – to paraphrase the poet Emily Dickinson – telling it slant.

The Festival has invited authors and journalists from all around the world to share their insights in Age of Political Earthquakes. Man Booker Prize-winner Paul Beatty attends the Festival to explore his satirical masterpiece The Sellout with readers; Howard Jacobson visits with his new comic fairy tale; Zadie Smith looks at feminism and motherhood; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explores feminism and motherhood in her newest novel Dear Ijeawale (in discussion withFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon), and acclaimed author Paul Auster makes his first visit to talk about his latest novel 4 3 2 1.

Author of Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell, will return to the Festival in a special event run in collaboration with David Greilsammer, where he will be reading micro stories interspersed with piano music in St Mary’s Cathedral, and Elif Shafak, Turkey’s most-read female novelist, will explore the connection between fiction and the political world with American writer Siri Hustvedt.

International novelists such as Nicole Krauss, Peter Høeg, Caroline Brothers, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Jenny Erpenbeck, Marcel Theroux and André Naffis-Sahely will all launch their new books in Edinburgh, whilst authors Colson Whitehead and Dana Spiotta make their first appearance at the Festival. Closer to home, we have both Maggie O’Farrell and Val McDermid, who will be launching her latest crime novel; Ali Smith returning with the second in her seasonal series and novelist and poet John Burnside introducing two new works.

In partnership with Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Festival will also take three Scottish novels (each of which are much talked about and award-winning), Amy Liptrot’s The Outrun, Graeme Macrae Burnet’s His Bloody Project, and James Kelman’s Dirt Road, creating a short dramatic presentation of each on stage in Charlotte Square Gardens.

As well as the fascinating programme, as a way of celebrating the 70th anniversary of Edinburgh as a festival city, this year the Festival will be expanding out of Charlotte Square gardens (all of which still remains as previous years) and onto George Street, with the addition of the Bosco Theatre and The Greenhouse. These venues will host an array of exciting activities, such as workshops, a book shop, live writing, live performances, and more.

The Book Festival receives funding from Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, and runs from Saturday 12 to Monday 28 August 2017. Entrance to the Gardens is FREE and the gardens, cafes, bookshops and all venues are fully accessible.

As previously mentioned, the list of over 1000 events means that there is more than enough to keep literary lovers of all ages and backgrounds happy. You can browse the programme for yourself over on the Book Festival website here.

Tickets to all events go on sale at 8.30am on Tuesday 20 June 2017, online at www.edbookfest.co.uk, by phone on 0845 373 5888 or in person at the Box Office at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (on Tuesday 20 June only, thereafter at The Hub, Castlehill).

]]>Whisky Galore! in cinemashttp://www.cityofliterature.com/whisky-galore-cinemas/
Wed, 31 May 2017 11:20:27 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34634A remake of the 1949 film Whisky Galore was released in cinemas this month. Whisky Galore! is written by award-winning screenwriter Peter McDougall, and was shot on location in Scotland, telling the true story of a shipwreck off the coast of Eriskay. The film was premiered at the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival... read more >>

]]>A remake of the 1949 film Whisky Galore was released in cinemas this month.

Whisky Galore! is written by award-winning screenwriter Peter McDougall, and was shot on location in Scotland, telling the true story of a shipwreck off the coast of Eriskay.

The film was premiered at the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival last year, featuring a cast of talented Scottish actors, including Eddie Izzard, Ellie Kendrick, Naomi Battrick, James Cosmo, Gregor Fisher, Kevin Guthrie, and Sean Biggerstaff.

The film is inspired by Sir Compton MacKenzie’s novel of the same name, an author who once lived in Edinburgh at 31 Drummond Place.

The novel was based on real events that took place in 1941, when the cargo ship SS Politician became stranded on rocks just offshore on the coast of Barra. Present in her cargo were 22,000 barrels of whisky. This fact alone inspired the islanders to attempt to salvage the bottles of amber liquid from the wreckage.

Whiskey Galore! is currently showing in cinemas across the UK.

You can learn more about the true story behind the novel over on the BBC website here.

Sir Compton MacKenzie

Sir Compton MacKenzie was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, history, and a memoir. Born in England to a family of theatre performers, MacKenzie went on to study Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. He co-founded the Scottish Nationalist Party in 1928, alongside Hugh MacDiarmid, RB Cunninghame Graham and John MacCormick, and is best known for his two comic pieces of fiction based in Scotland: Whisky Galore (1947) in the Hebrides, and The Monarch of the Glen (1941) in the Scottish Highlands.

]]>D.E. Stevenson honoured at childhood homehttp://www.cityofliterature.com/d-e-stevenson-honoured-childhood-home/
Thu, 25 May 2017 16:19:55 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34601On 24 May 2017, a plaque commemorating the life and work of Edinburgh author Dorothy Emily Stevenson was unveiled at 14 Eglinton Crescent, now known as the Victorian Townhouse, where she spent her childhood. Best known for her Mrs Tim books, Dorothy Emily Stevenson authored more than 40 books, selling... read more >>

]]>On 24 May 2017, a plaque commemorating the life and work of Edinburgh author Dorothy Emily Stevenson was unveiled at 14 Eglinton Crescent, now known as the Victorian Townhouse, where she spent her childhood.

Best known for her Mrs Tim books, Dorothy Emily Stevenson authored more than 40 books, selling in excess of 7 million copies. She was a prolific writer, covering a number of genres, including drama, romance, and sci-fi, and according to her granddaughters, was known to ‘sneak into the attic of her home at Eglinton Crescent to write without anybody knowing’.

Stevenson’s granddaughters, Penny Kent and Wendy Simpson, came to Edinburgh for the occasion to help us unveil the plaque. It was Penny Kent who discovered five more of Stevenson’s book in her home in Hartfordshire, which then went on to be published by Grey Ladies Books in Edinburgh.

The unveiling of Stevenson’s plaque in the New Town came about as a result of the Commemorative Plaque scheme run by Historic Environment Scotland. The Trust nominated three female writers deserving of such commemorations; all of whom were chosen. The other women include Sarah Siddons Mair, campaigner for women’s suffrage and education, and Susan Ferrier, a novelist widely recognized as ‘the Scottish Jane Austen’.

Ali Bowden, Director of the City of Literature Trust, says:

‘As a UNESCO City of Literature we are proud to have the world’s tallest monument commemorating an author, the glorious Scott Monument on Princes Street. We are a city that has striking statues marking our great literary heritage, however, these all represent male writers and it is time that our many female writers, from across the centuries, are recognised and seen on our streets, and these plaques are a great way of helping us to redress this balance.’

Dorothy Emily Stevenson (1892–1973)
Born on 18 November 1892 into a family of well-kent engineers and writers, Dorothy Emily Stevenson authored more than 40 books selling in excess of seven million copies. After penning two books of poetry, her first published novel was Peter West, which originally appeared as a serial in Chambers’ Edinburgh Journal. She then went on to write the popular Mrs. Tim books: Mrs. Tim of the Regiment (1932), Mrs. Tim Carries On (1941), Mrs. Tim gets a Job (1947), and Mrs. Tim Flies Home (1952).

Her work has recently been reprinted by Persephone Books, and by Bloomsbury, who reprinted Mrs Tim of the Regiment in 2009. D.E. Stevenson will be celebrated with a plaque at her former home, 14 Eglinton Crescent, which today is The Victorian Town House Bed and Breakfast. To find out more about this popular author and to read her work visit Persephone Books and Bloomsbury.

Sarah Siddons Mair (1846 – 1941)

Granddaughter of the actress Sarah Siddons, Sarah Siddons Mair was born at 29 Abercromby Place in Edinburgh and made her name as a writer, reviewer and founding editor of the Ladies’ Edinburgh Magazine. In 1865 she established the women-only Edinburgh Essay Society, the first formalised society in Scotland to debate the right for women to have the vote. Siddons Mair became president of the Edinburgh National Society of Women’s suffrage in 1906, and she received an honorary LLD from Edinburgh University in 1920 and was made a Dame of the British Empire in 193. She died at the age of 94 in 1941 and her funeral was held at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Cathedral.

Susan Edmonstone Ferrier (1782–1854)
Susan Edmonstone Ferrier (1782 – 1854) holds an important place in the history of Scottish literature, standing alongside her contemporaries Mary Brunton and Christian Isobel Johnstone in developing a tradition of national domestic fiction in post-Enlightenment Scotland. She is widely considered to be Scotland’s Jane Austen. Ferrier wrote and published three hugely popular novels in her life: Marriage (1818), The Inheritance (1824), and Destiny (1831). Ferrier’s novels are known for the satirical way in which they observe society, and she was a close friend and long-time correspondent of Sir Walter Scott.

The plaque to Ferrier will be placed at East Morningside House, where Ferrier lived with her father and wrote much of her novel The Inheritance. Many of her novels are still in print and available at Book Depository, and you can find out more about her at the National Library of Scotland.

]]>Echoes of the City explores Edinburgh’s literary streetshttp://www.cityofliterature.com/echoes-city-explores-edinburghs-literary-streets/
Mon, 22 May 2017 11:47:15 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34588A simple walk through the winding, cobbled streets of Edinburgh proves just how abundant and rich the city is in its stories and heritage. This was something that Miriam Johnson, creator of geo-locational podcast, Echoes of the City, wished to explore even further. She began work on creating a podcast... read more >>

]]>A simple walk through the winding, cobbled streets of Edinburgh proves just how abundant and rich the city is in its stories and heritage.

This was something that Miriam Johnson, creator of geo-locational podcast, Echoes of the City, wished to explore even further. She began work on creating a podcast that would create an audio trail of stories, guiding listeners to various locations in the city.

In talking about Edinburgh as a setting, Johnson said: “It’s got history, setting, style, and a great infrastructure to get a project like Echoes of the City off the ground.”

The Echoes of the City Podwalk app uses geo-locational technology to take listeners an an audio journey through the city, featuring stories written by new and emerging writers that shine a light on some of the secret gems and wonders of our capital.

The app guides listeners to fifteen locations around Edinburgh, each of which is connected to one of fifteen stories or poems by the chosen writers, and play as the listener reaches the location.

The fifteen chosen writers were condensed down from a list of 79 entries, all of whom were early career authors with no more than one novel published.

]]>New memorials arrive in Makars’ Courthttp://www.cityofliterature.com/new-memorials-arrive-makars-court/
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:42:28 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34502Situated in the courtyard outside of the Writers’ Museum in Edinburgh, Makars’ Court is an evolving national literary monument with the famous words of great Scottish writers inscribed in its flagstones. And today, as the sun filtered in over the buildings in Lady Stair’s Close, the newest addition to the collection... read more >>

]]>Situated in the courtyard outside of the Writers’ Museum in Edinburgh, Makars’ Court is an evolving national literary monument with the famous words of great Scottish writers inscribed in its flagstones. And today, as the sun filtered in over the buildings in Lady Stair’s Close, the newest addition to the collection of flagstones was unveiled, in memory of Scottish poet George Campbell Hay (1915 – 1984).

Anne Artymiuk, a doctoral student at Scotland’s University of the Highlands and Islands, worked with Gillian Findlay from the Writers’ Museum to fundraise and set up plans for installing for the tribute. In speaking about the process she said:

I am delighted to see the tribute set in stone and am very grateful to everyone for their support

The ceremony saw the unveiling of the brand new flagstone, which was accompanied by an original composition written by Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Liam Patterson, with vocals by Scottish Opera baritone Andy McTaggart, as well as a recording of Alasdair Whyte singing Hay’s Gaelic song, Luinneag.

The tribute to Campbell Hay features a quote in both English and Gaelic:

George Campbell Hay (1915 – 1984)

The hert’s the compass tae the place

That ye wad gae whan land ye lea.

Cha chuir ceann is cridh’ air iomrall thu.

Bi iomlan is bi beò.

William Soutar’s Flagstone

As well as this, the second addition to Makars’ Court is set to be unveiled next week on 28 April, featuring a flagstone commemorating the life and work of poet and diarist William Soutar (1898-1943).

Soutar’s inscription will read:

William Soutar (1898 – 1943)

I thocht the hale o the world was there

Sae sma in a small room

The ceremony will take place at 11.15am in front of the Writers’ Museum, and will include speeches and readings. The commemorative flagstones were created thanks to the work of their sponsors, Anne Artymiuk and the Friends of the William Soutar Society, as well as the Makars’ Court Committee of the Scottish Saltire Society.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:

Makars’ Court is a highlight of the Old Town tourist trail and the addition of these two new inscriptions celebrates these poets’ skills in their craft. Scotland – and not least its City of Literature capital – has produced an extraordinary number of accomplished writers and Makars’ Court is an excellent place to pay tribute to them and celebrate their work.

]]>Poetry Periscope on the movehttp://www.cityofliterature.com/poetry-periscope-move/
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:30:20 +0000http://www.cityofliterature.com/?p=34493The Poetry Periscope, a bright yellow jukebox filled with poems, made its debut appearance in Scotland earlier this month at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which ran from 1 – 16 April. It is now on the move again and is setting up quarters at Napier University‘s Criaglockhart Campus, in the main... read more >>

]]>The Poetry Periscope, a bright yellow jukebox filled with poems, made its debut appearance in Scotland earlier this month at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which ran from 1 – 16 April.

It is now on the move again and is setting up quarters at Napier University‘s Criaglockhart Campus, in the main foyer. Home to a dedicated literature department, and an avid supporter of both poetry and prose, nationally and internationally, Napier University provides an ideal temporary dwelling for the Periscope.

The Periscope contains recordings of 30 poems from 30 European poets, including the likes of Jackie Kay (Scots Makar), Titos Patrikios (Greece) and Friederike Mayröcker (Austria), alongside upcoming names such as Irish-language poet Doireann Ni Ghriofa. All of the poems can be listened to in their original language as well as in translation.

The City of Literature Trust is working with Czech Centre London and Piana na Ulici to facilitate the Periscope’s Edinburgh mini-tour, and will announce its whereabouts as it continues on its tour in Edinburgh throughout the year.

History

The Poetry Periscope, originally developed in the Czech Republic, is a joint project by the Czech Centre London and Piana na ulici organised on behalf of EUNIC London. It was part of the 2016 European Literature Festival organised by EUNIC London and initiated by the Czech Centre in partnership with the British Library.

The Poetry Periscope is a public sound installation – a 1.8 m tall object containing a recorded poem from each EUNIC member. The installation is based on the Poetry Jukebox, which was installed in several European cities over the past year. Its stop in our literary capital is part of its broader UK-wide tour, where it will be stopping off at literary landmarks and events across the country.